A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

"Your Majesty, eight marquises, including Li Huai and Zhao Qiniang, are requesting an audience outside the palace."

The young eunuch knelt at the door, his voice very low.

Wei Zhao's hand was still clasped around Su Qingyun's waist, and his fingertips paused for a moment when he heard these words.

He just said that eight people didn't object, and these eight people handed over their placards.

Su Qingyun got up from his lap and straightened his cuffs.

"I'll step back behind the screen first."

Wei Zhao glanced at her.

"You don't need to return it."

Su Qingyun smiled.

"They came to see the emperor, not me. They felt uncomfortable talking when I stood to their side."

Wei Zhao twitched the corner of his mouth.

uneasy?

Only she could say such gentle words.

Of the eight marquises, some were even more intimidated by Su Qingyun than by the Minister of Revenue.

After all, the Minister of Revenue only knew how to complain about being poor, while Su Qingyun could actually calculate all the copper coins they had hidden in their pockets.

But she's right.

They have to perform this role themselves.

Wei Zhao raised his hand.

"Announce."

Su Qingyun retreated behind a screen on one side.

The palace gates opened.

Li Huai was the first to enter.

He was still carrying the account book, but today he was wearing a marquis's robe, which he was not used to wearing, and he wanted to pull at his sleeve after taking a few steps.

Zhao Qiniang followed behind, a short knife hanging at her waist. Her eyebrows and eyes were sharper than before, and she exuded an aura of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) that was impossible to suppress.

The other six people also entered the hall in turn.

Some were burly, some were slender, some wore armor, and some wore robes.

When the eight people knelt down, the sound of armor and clothing mingled together, creating a very real atmosphere.

"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects."

Wei Zhao did not tell them to get up immediately.

He looked at them.

No one dared to look.

This was much quieter than the day of the Taiji Hall awards ceremony.

Back then, Zhou Laodao still dared to grin, and Han Dashan still dared to retort.

Now that the banner of the ten rebel kings has been raised, the remaining eight have become surprisingly well-behaved.

People.

Sometimes it's not the rules that's scary, it's not noticing where the knife is.

"Get up, everyone."

The eight people stood up.

Before anyone else could speak, Li Huai stepped forward and knelt down again with a thud.

"Your Majesty, I have taken care of things on that side!"

Wei Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"What should be dealt with?"

Li Huai held the account book in his arms high.

"I have left Old Chen and two battalions of troops to guard the three counties under my fief. I have made clear arrangements for the granaries, county government offices, ferry crossings, and post stations. If anyone causes trouble while I am in the capital, Old Chen will kill them first and report it later."

He spoke so quickly that sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I have come to the capital not to seek reward, nor to observe. I have come to help Your Majesty quell the rebellion!"

Wei Zhao looked at him, and felt a slight relief in his heart.

Li Huai wasn't the bravest man, nor was he the strongest soldier, but he had one good point.

He can calculate.

Anyone who is good at calculations, as long as they don't lose their mind, knows who to follow to live and who to follow to die.

What Han Dashan and Zhou Laodao saw was territory, the title of king, and the grain they could seize right in front of them.

What Li Huai saw was a tent.

The accounts of the rebel king will never be settled in the end.

Zhao Qiniang also clasped her hands and said:

"Your Majesty, I've made arrangements on my end as well. Three hundred old sisters will remain at Baihe Village to guard it, and I've brought the rest who are still able to move."

She paused, her eyes turning colder.

"People like Han Dashan and Zhou Laodao are useful when fighting Lu Song, but they'll be exposed when it comes to dividing up territory. If Your Majesty wants to fight, I'll be the first to go."

The other marquises also spoke up one after another.

"Your subject is willing to send troops."

"I have seven thousand men under my command, at Your Majesty's disposal."

"I have already left troops to guard my fiefdom. I have come here only to atone for my crimes and make meritorious contributions... No, I am innocent. I just want to make meritorious contributions."

After the last person finished speaking, their face turned red.

The atmosphere in the hall relaxed a bit.

Wei Zhao almost burst out laughing.

it is good.

The fact that they get nervous and say the wrong thing shows that they're not trying to do anything malicious.

If there really were ghosts, they should be like those old officials in the Taiji Hall, every word sound and every phrase useless.

Wei Zhao raised his hand.

"I understand what you mean."

The eight people immediately fell silent.

Wei Zhao stood up, walked to the military map, and pressed several copper paperweights onto it.

"Han Dashan and Zhou Laodao are currently on the Chenqiao front. The ten rebel kings seem to be gaining considerable momentum. The Holy Fire Sect is marching north from Qingzhou, Yuzhou, and Yanzhou, shouting that they are heading straight for the capital."

He pointed to six cities with his fingertips.

He marked out the six positions one by one.

Several people in the hall gathered around to take a closer look, and their expressions quickly changed.

These six locations were not chosen randomly.

If we hold this position, the rebel king won't be able to advance on the capital, and the Holy Fire Sect's northward advance will also be blocked.

If we can't hold it, the capital region will be torn apart from both sides.

Wei Zhao knew in his heart that this was not the decisive battle.

This is a drag.

By holding back the rebel king and the Holy Fire Cult, the capital can focus on preparing its troops, supplies, and the court.

But he can't force everyone out right now.

The capital had just been pacified, the surrendered soldiers were not yet settled, the old officials had not been purged, and the powerful families were still observing the political climate.

The battles outside must continue, and the fighting inside must not stop either.

Therefore, these eight people cannot all stay by my side.

They need to be put in their proper places.

"The six of you will leave the capital tomorrow."

Wei Zhao looked at the six marquises besides Li Huai and Zhao Qiniang.

"Each of you lead your respective troops to these six cities. I forbid you from launching any offensives, nor from being greedy for merit or acting rashly. Defend the cities, block the roads, and stabilize the hearts of the people."

He added a sentence.

"Each city shall be provided with half a month's worth of military rations. If the official granaries within the city are insufficient, they shall be requisitioned from nearby prefectures and counties with my personal order. Anyone who dares to withhold rations shall be treated as a traitor."

The six people's eyes lit up immediately.

This is the truth.

Giving orders without provisions is sending them to their deaths. Giving them provisions, official status, and the authority to act first and report later is the real way to make them defend the city.

"I obey your decree!"

All six people knelt down.

Wei Zhao nodded.

"Go to the side hall to receive your military orders. Grand Preceptor Fang will give you the military merit record book and regulations. Defending the city, protecting the grain, killing the enemy, and pacifying the people will all count as merits."

The six people were stunned again.

Military merit record?

This was the first time they had ever heard of this.

Upon hearing the words "all merits," the expressions on the faces of the group changed noticeably.

Wei Zhao could see it clearly.

It's not that people can't talk about loyalty and righteousness.

But to only talk about loyalty and righteousness without mentioning rewards is to be a scoundrel.

People die in war.

Before someone dies, they should know why they died and what they can gain if they survive.

After the six people left, only Li Huai and Zhao Qiniang remained in the hall.

Wei Zhao looked at them: "Li Huai, Zhao Qiniang."

"Your subject is here!"

Wei Zhao walked back to the imperial desk and sat down.

"You shall remain in the capital."

Li Huai and Zhao Qiniang were stunned.

"Many things in the imperial court are difficult to handle."

Wei Zhao pointed to the pile of names on the table.

"The Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Justice are all corrupt. Whether I need to personally lead an expedition or mobilize troops, I can't sit here and watch them every day. I need someone to look after the court, check the accounts, check the grain, and investigate corrupt officials."

Li Huai's eyes widened little by little.

Wei Zhao said, "I wish to appoint you as Prime Minister."

The account book in Li Huai's hand fell to the ground with a thud.

He was completely stunned.

"Prime Minister...?"

Zhao Qiniang also turned to look at him, her eyes full of surprise.

Su Qingyun remained silent behind the screen.

Wei Zhao knew she was listening.

He also knew that this appointment was very important.

Li Huai came from a righteous army; he was not from a prominent family, not a former official, and not a renowned scholar.

If he were made prime minister, those old fogies in the court would be so angry they'd get up in the middle of the night to write memorials to scold him.

But so what?

What the new Wu Dynasty needs now is a capable prime minister, not an ancestor who puts on airs.

Li Huai's voice trembled as he kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, I...I haven't read many classic texts."

"I didn't ask you to give lectures."

"I come from a humble background."

"When I posted the recruitment notice, I said that I would not ask about people's background."

"I fear those veteran officials will not accept this."

Wei Zhao smiled.

"If they're not satisfied, then check their accounts."

Li Huai suddenly looked up.

Wei Zhao looked at him and said, word by word:

"Corrupt officials, execute those who can be executed, confiscate those who can be confiscated. Half of the money and grain seized will go to the army, and the other half will go to disaster relief and recruitment. Anyone who dares to stop you, let him come to me."

Li Huai's face changed from pale to red.

He slowly picked up the account books from the ground and hugged them even tighter than before.

"Your Majesty, these corrupt officials should have died long ago!"

That's a powerful statement.

The sound was so loud that even the eunuchs outside the palace trembled.

Wei Zhao felt relieved.

Those corrupt officials in the imperial court, used to the Ministry of Rites' soft words and the Ministry of Revenue's complaints of poverty, should listen to someone like Li Huai.

Wei Zhao looked at Zhao Qiniang.

"Zhao Qiniang".

Zhao Qiniang immediately stopped laughing.

"Your subject is here."

Wei Zhao looked at her, his expression even more serious than before.

"I spared you for the sake of the Holy Fire Cult."

The smile on Zhao Qiniang's face vanished completely.

Wei Zhao pushed the military report from Qingzhou over.

"You are from the White Lotus Sect."

He spoke very directly.

Zhao Qiniang's eyelids twitched, but she did not deny it.

Not many people in the palace knew her background.

She didn't like to mention it before.

The White Lotus Sect has no good reputation. Like the Holy Fire Sect today, it is something that grew out of the ground in a chaotic world.

But Wei Zhao didn't care about her background.

What he cares about is whether she understands or not.

If you understand it, you can use it.

"You should know more about the Holy Fire Cult than I do."

Wei Zhao pointed at the military report.

"Three hundred thousand refugees are marching straight to the capital. Zhang Yan calls himself the Teacher of Peace, opening granaries to distribute grain, burning land deeds, and killing county magistrates. I want to know just how big this thing is, and whether we should stop it first."